An unassuming single-story blue brick building stands at the midpoint of Main Street in the small town of Madison, Virginia. A large window at the front of the building looks out onto one of three crosswalks across the two-lane road that passes through the historic downtown. Home to the Madison County Eagle newspaper for nearly sixty years, staff worked remotely in their homes starting in 2020. The move eventually became permanent, and the 800-square-foot building went up for sale. After sitting empty for a year, new owners took possession. Having seen the potential for a new life in the old structure, they began a renovation project that would celebrate the building’s storied history and serve visitors to the town of Madison and the surrounding area.
Before & After
September 2021
May 2023
The Eagle’s Storied Past
On April 1, 2022, the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Historic Resources deemed the Madison Eagle a property of significance and contributing resource to the Madison County Courthouse Historic District. The building is now listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Read the full history of the building and view the appendices.
Expand each title below to explore the history of the Historic Madison Eagle.
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“At the turn of the century, the office of the Madison Eagle was the law office of James Early Thrift (1872-1951) and Charles F. McMullen. The building was formerly owned by Mrs. Sally Bowcock Thrift, Mr. Thrift's mother.
Mr. Thrift (left) was Madison's Commonwealth Attorney from 1903-1907 and was in the Virginia House of Delegates in 1908. He owned the William T. Banks home on Main Street, was an Oddfellow and vice president of the Citizens League. He moved to Oklahoma where he became a judge and eventually an advisor to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
W. Marvin Pattie (1877-1957) is at the center of the picture at the typewriter. He attended private school in Madison run by Mr. Haywood Taylor and the Smithdeal Business School in Richmond. Pattie was owner and proprietor of the Madison House in 1907. He was an auctioneer, farmer and bird hunter. He was the father of Cora Willis Pattie of Madison.
Charles F. McMullen (right) is seated near the roll-top desk with the bookcase behind it. He was the son of Judge Francis M. McMullen of Madison, and was Mr. Thrift's law partner, McMullen was Commonwealth Attorney in 1908. He moved to Oklahoma shortly afterwards." –Text from the Madison County Eagle, October 3, 1985
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Santa Claus paid a visit to Main Street and the Eagle.
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"John F. Kennedy was still in the White House when The Madison County Eagle moved into what is still its current 'house.' The lead story in the paper’s March 28, 1963 edition announces its move to the then-unpainted red brick building at 201 N. Main St. It was purchased from the estate of Medford Hoffman, the building’s longtime owner, who operated a store in it. You’d have to go back quite a few more presidents to get to the one serving when the structure was originally built. That one would be John Adams, the nation’s second president." —Text by Don Richeson, Madison County Eagle, December 29, 2010
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"In early February, we reported that our building was for sale. When Berkshire Hathaway (BH) sold its newspapers in the spring of 2020 to Lee Enterprises, BH remained the owner of the real estate, including our Madison Blue building on Main Street. They have since sold several buildings, including most recently, ours. The time has now come to move.
As of Aug. 31, our time in this office will come to an end and our nearly 58-year history here will be but a blip in the building’s 220-year history. We wish the next tenants well and hope they’ll be good stewards of the building. Maybe they’ll even embrace the Madison Blue." —Madison County Eagle, August 25, 2021. Photo by Gracie Brooks.
New Life for the Historic Building
Renovations to the Eagle began in November 2023.
September 2021: Inside the Madison County Eagle newspaper office at the time of the buidling’s sale. Left: Looking at the building from the Main St entrance. Right: The rear entrance, where guests enter today. The bathroom was completely removed and reinstalled. The location of the reading nook today appeared to be a dark room for photo development.
November 2021: Demolition began, removing old built-in furniture, the drop ceiling, and other structures.
November 2021: Items found during demolition included an old subscription fee card, a lost paycheck for Ms. Charlotte Gallihugh (1973), and midcentury Christmas ornaments.
March 2023: After a long and arduous renovation process, the Eagle as we know it today started to come to life. Though we don’t know the original date of the wood floors, we know they’re quite old, having been found under a layer of carpet and a layer of tile. It was a thrill to bring them back to life!
April 2023: We finally felt the thrill of move-in day and putting all the final touches on the Historic Madison Eagle just as spring had sprung.
May 2023: The Historic Madison Eagle officially opened for guests in mid-May 2023. Confirming the demand we suspected for short-term stays in the area, we welcomed our first guests within one week of launching the listing on Airbnb.com.